Baby Signing using ASL

I have had a lot of friends and family, and who have been curious about Baby Signing.  As well as, people who have observed me signing in the neighborhood, who have lots of questions for me.  I also figured that discussing signing would be a good follow-up to my first ever blog "Why a.k.a Baby Elbows?" in which I touch on aspects of signing.

I will write briefly here about my experiences signing with my daughter and what I found helpful, as well as the reasons I chose to sign with her. Of course, I am talking from my own personal experience here and I found signing with my daughter to be extremely beneficial experience.

Helpful Suggestions:

• Sign and verbalize the word being signed to encourage signing and to increase vocabulary 
• Assist little hands in signing, take your child's hands and help him or her sign
• Sign in context.  For example sign "more," and"please" when it snack time, give snack immediately after he/she signs successful (not articulately). 
• Do not worry if your child is not signing articulately.  If you know what he/she is signing that is good enough (fine motor skills will increase as your child gets older) 
• Repetitiveness and consistency. Repeat, repeat, repeat daily.  Keep signing
• Start simple. Sign two or three signs (such as "milk," "please," "more") 
• Introduce a new sign each time a sign is accomplish 
• Past the age of 18 months start introducing signing the alphabet and finger spelling. For example: spelling out simply word D-O-G.   
• Sing and sign and read and sign (helps in memorizing signs).

Benefits to teaching baby signing (see the attached articles on the research out there below):

• lowers frustration 
• improves communication
• develops fine motors skills
• increases vocabulary
• can help with reading readiness (using finger spelling)

Below are a few videos/photos of Clara signing for teaching purposes, one of Clara's favorite signing video to watch was of two year old girl signing the alphabet.  It was a major encouragement for her when she was learning.

Clara practicing her signing December 2010 at 15 months old

Clara practicing her signing May 2011 at 18months old

Clara signing "please" at age 11 months

Clara signing "more" at age 11 months

My daughter is now, 2 years old, although we do not sign as much as we did when she was younger (because then it was our form of communication and now she is talking), she wakes up ever morning showing me different letters she can sign, "Ma-ma, this is a X, this is a S, etc...."  Below are photos of Clara  matching her magnetic letters to photos of the letters in the alphabet being signed, a game she made up herself.

September 9, 2011

Please do not hesitate in contacting me with any questions using the comment area below. I am always willing to talk about my experience signing with my daughter. Happy Signing!  :) 

Reasons to sign based on research: 

http://www.deaf-culture-online.com/sign-language-for-children.html

The Benefits of Using American Sign Language with Preschoolers by Laura Berg http://www.babies-and-sign-language.com/baby-sign-language-preschoolers.html

Can baby sign language delay speech development?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8060750/ns/health-childrens_health/t/can-baby-sign-language-delay-speech/#.T1tLzYGPWSo

Teaching Your Baby Sign Language  Can Benefit Both of You by Jane Collingwood
http://psychcentral.com/lib/2009/teaching-your-baby-sign-language-can-benefit-both-of-you/

Helpful websites for signing with your baby using ASL
1.       Signing Time Videos to order: http://www.signingtime.com/getting-started/

2.       YOUTUBE Signing Time: http://www.youtube.com/user/SigningTime?blend=2&ob=1

3.       Dictionary for looking up words to sign: http://www.lifeprint.com/

4.       Lexington School for the Deaf, Jackson Heights, Adult Signing Classes http://www.lexnyc.com/

5.       Baby Bundle. Info: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5B-75_C3yo0&feature=related

6.       Smart Hands:(Smart Hands also has a local classes) http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=abc+smart+hands&aq=f

7.       Parents Magazine advice (top 11 signs to teach babies) : http://www.parents.com/baby/development/sign-language/

8.       Parenting Magazine advice (top 21 baby signs) :
http://www.parenting.com/gallery/baby-sign-language-words-to-know

9.Signing Savvy:  animals and colors and for looking up signs http://www.signingsavvy.com/wordlist/animals